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Paterson Park petition nearing 1,000 names

Grassroots group wants to see public ownership for former harness track at the entrance to Ladner

Four hundred Delta residents took time out of their sunny Sunday last weekend to sign Paterson Park for Deltans' petition to secure public ownership of the former harness track in its entirety. The petition now boasts nearly 1,000 signatures.

"There is no doubt that Delta residents are keenly interested in securing Paterson Park for Deltans," said group member Gladys Gibson.

Standing at the corner of Ladner Trunk Road and Elliott Street, the group set up a small booth with historic photos of the track, information pamphlets and maps to facilitate a broader understanding of the implications for the community should Delta not acquire the property and secure public ownership.

The group's appearance outside the Ladner Village Market is part of an attempt to make the petition more widely available for Delta residents.

An online version of the petition can be found at tinyurl.com/patpark. People that would like to volunteer a small amount of time to help secure public ownership of Paterson Park in its entirety are asked to contact patersonparkfordeltans@ gmail.com.

"The variety of ways that this community envisions the future of Paterson Park is truly astonishing," said group member Scott Drake. "What brings them all together is that they start with public ownership, and that's what people recognize."

Kwantlen Polytechnic University announced recently it was selling its half of Paterson Park, located at the corner of Ladner Trunk Road and Highway 17. Delta owns the other half of the property.